Bobservations Column
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz
By Pastor Bob Lawrenz
But King after King of Jerusalem, from the days of Josiah and after, “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord.” [The story line is in 2 Kings 22-24, and it turns out the Zedekiah is actually the uncle of Nebuchadnezzar! Ole “Neb” is his nephew! (2Kings 24:17-20)].
Our first question might be, “How can this be true?” But Babylonian influence had been throughout the region for many years. Zedekiah’s birth name, Mattaniah, had been changed by Nebuchadnezzar after he assumed the Throne of Jerusalem. It was Zedekiah’s mother who had given birth to two of Jerusalem’s Kings. Hardly a Camelot of the Kennedy years, the Royal influence of Babylon’s King was all around in Judea, and the Coastal Plains, and the siege of Jerusalem was at the core of Babylon’s political expansion. The Jews were so compromised in the faith that stopping the expansion would be like trying to single-handedly stop one of Europe’s high-speed trains. Everyone had forgotten Joshua’s judgment to separate from the heathens.
We see one group’s anger in the toppling of our National Statues. But it was five years ago here in town that a Village landmark statue was removed from the corner because it wasn’t politically correct! Ideologies creep in little by little until our foundations are gone. God’s Word is our foundation, and Jesus Christ is our Victor. Don’t let the enemy steal your foundation!
“Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor’s landmark. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’” - Deuteronomy 27:17
Today's Audio Message: "A Time To Redeem"
In chapter 34, the beginning verses are directed at Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. Babylonian influence ran throughout the middle east. In 2 Kings 24, we learn Zedekiah was Nebuchadnezzar’s uncle, and he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. The Jews had departed from God’s law and mixed with an idolatrous culture, the king encouraged it.
Today we are witnessing vain philosophies and ideologies creeping into the church. The Church that was once strong and vibrant in America, is now weak and sickly. It has merged with the world and has welcomed it's strange doctrines.
We, like the Jews, have committed spiritual idolatry and are departing from the sound Word of God. Babylon, like our enemy, is seeking to expand its kingdom. The battle is for our souls. God in His mercy has been very patient giving warning to us. Jesus is coming, and we must redeem the time by drawing closer to Him, standing on His Word, and shining as beacons of truth in these evil days. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24
